The present invention relates to ski poles. More particularly, the present invention relates to ski poles that have a shock absorbing handle, a quick release mechanism, and a variable wind resistance basket. The ski pole is an integral part of skiing. It acts as an extension of the skier""s upper body, providing timing, rhythm, balance, support and assists the skier in maintaining proper body position. The ski pole generally consists of a handle rigidly attached to the end of a shaft. In most cases the shaft and handle are arranged in longitudinal alignment with no angular relative motion allowed between the shaft and grip during normal use.
While skiing, the skier desires to reach out with each pole plant to establish the next turn. To do this with a traditional ski pole, the skier must radially flex his wrist to extend the pole to the desired planting position. When the pole is planted, the skier progresses forward while the base of the pole remains stationary and the wrist is flexed back to a neutral position. This repeated action places continual stress on the skier""s wrist by forcing him to continually flex his wrist into an unnatural position and apply force to the wrist. This subjects the wrist to forces which may lead to fatigue, soreness and potentially repetitive strain injuries. In addition, traditional ski poles employ straps to assist the skier with holding the ski pole grip and, therefore, potentially distribute the force of a pole plant to the skier""s wrist. In this way, traditional ski pole straps may become a mechanism for injury. When the skier falls or the ski pole becomes entangled in brush or other obstructions, the strap stays attached to the skier""s hand causing the grip to force the thumb to hyperextend and thereby cause an injury.
In known ski poles, some attempts to provide shock absorption axially along the ski pole can be found. While this may reduce some of the in-line force of a pole plant, it does not address the continual and unnatural flexing and extending of the wrist. To allow the wrist to stay in a neutral, comfortable position while skiing, the ski pole must provide articulation between handle and shaft.
Other attempts have been made to provide an articulating mechanism between ski pole shaft and grip to act as a break-away mechanism. This mechanism is intended to reduce the likelihood of injury to the skier""s hand if excessive force is suddenly applied to the ski pole grip (e.g., during a fall). However, the breakaway mechanism does not reduce the forces applied to the hand and wrist under normal circumstances. The mechanism must be calibrated so that it releases at a predetermined force, which must be more than normal operational forces, but less than enough to cause injury.
Still other attempts have been made to provide a quick release mechanism between ski pole and skier. One theory of operation is to create a break-away strap that releases from the ski pole handle when unusual forces are applied to the strap. Unfortunately this may not allow the ski pole handle to disengage the skier""s hand before and injury has occurred. In addition, ski pole straps must be removed before riding a ski lift and reattached after each lift ride. Ski pole straps make this a cumbersome and time-consuming process.
In known ski pole baskets, attempts have been made to provide alternative baskets for differing ski conditions. However, these baskets are not adjustable and require the skier to purchase multiple ski poles. Alternatively, the skier may interchange baskets on one pole, but this is not easily done while skiing to accommodate different ski conditions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved ski pole which allows articulation between the shaft and grip while in use to minimize the deflection and muscular exertion of a skier""s wrist and hand.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved ski pole with a shock absorbing mechanism to reduce the amount of force transmitted to a skier""s hand and wrist while in use.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved ski pole with a quick release mechanism that assists the skier in retaining the ski pole when in use, but quickly and easily release the pole during a fall or when excessive force is applied to the ski pole.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an improved ski pole with a mechanism for attaching the ski pole to the skier""s glove with a simple, direct connection.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved ski pole basket that articulates to accommodate different ski conditions.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing a ski pole which is capable of angular articulation between the shaft and grip during normal usage allowing the user to maintain a neutral hand and wrist position. The angle between the grip and shaft may be adjusted such that a neutral, comfortable hand and wrist position for planting the ski pole tip into the snow is achieved. The angular relation between the grip and shaft is maintained through the use of a spring mechanism that holds the shaft forward away from the skier and also acts as a shock absorbing mechanism when loaded during normal use.
The grip contains of a quick release mechanism for directly attaching the grip to a specially design ski glove eliminating the need for ski pole straps for pole retention. This mechanism allows the skier to quickly and easily engage and disengage the ski pole. It also allows the skier to quickly release the pole in the event of a fall, lessening the chances of the pole causing injury to the skier during the fall.
The snow engaging end of the shaft has an adjustable basket designed to prevent the tip of the ski pole from sinking into soft snow past a predetermined depth. The basket may be adjusted for differing snow conditions to provide greater surface area for engaging softer snow or less surface area to reduce wind resistance for use with hard snow conditions.
The ski pole comprises a hollow shaft having a lower pointed tip end for engaging snow and an upper end with an attached grip for engaging a skier""s hand. The shaft and grip are connected through a pivot which allows angular motion in the plane of the skier""s hand and arm. The shaft is held in a forward position by a spring. The forward limit of travel is maintained by a rigid stop which adjusts to accommodate different forward angles. The tension of the spring may also be adjusted to allow for a greater or lesser amount of shock absorption.